from one of the chief of the Jewish families that returned into Judea from Babylon. b But Josephus makes no scruple this, only to flatter Herod, who and that in truth he was an These Idumeans were a branch of the ancient Edomites, who, as Dr. Prideaux has observed, while the Jews were in the Babylonish captivity, and their land lay desolate, 'took possession of as much of the southern part of it, as 'contained what had formerly been the whole inheritance of the tribe of Simeon, and also half of that, which had 'been the inheritance of the tribe of Judah; and there 'dwelt ever after,-till at length going over into the religion of the Jews, they became incorporated with them into the 'same nation.' 6 Josephus gives this account of their conversion. Hyr'canus took also Adora and Marissa, cities of Idumea: and having subdued all the Idumeans, he permitted them to remain in the country, upon condition they would be circumcised, and use the Jewish laws. Rather than leave 'their native land, they received circumcision, and submit'ted to live in every respect as Jews. And from that time they became Jews.'c 6 This happened in the 129th year before the christian æra. Consequently Herod was a Jew though not of the ancient stock of Israel. f 6 Moreover Josephus calls Judea, Antipater's native country. And the Idumeans in the Jewish war promised to 'defend the house of God (at Jerusalem) and fight, for their common country.' And the Jews themselves allowed Herod to be a Jew. Whilst Felix was procurator of Judea, 'there arose a dispute between the Jews and Syrians that dwelt in Cæsarea concerning the equal rights of citizenship. The Jews thought they ought to have the prefer Joseph. Ant. lib. 14. cap. 1. sect. 3. Edit. Huds. b Connection, Part. II. Book iii. p. 199. Oct. Edit. 1718. с Υρκανος δε και της Ιδουμαιας αίρει πολεις Αδωρα και Μαρισσαν και ἁπαντας τους Ιδεμαίες υποχειρίες ποιησάμενος επέτρεψεν αυτοίς μενειν εν τη χώρα, ει περιτέμνειν τε τα αιδοία, και τους Ιεδαίοις νόμοις χρήσθαι θελοιεν· οι δε ποθῳ της πατρις γης και την περιτομήν και την αλλην τε βιε διαιταν ὑπέμειναν την αυτην Ιεδαίοις ποιησασθαι κακεινος αυτοίς χρονος ὑπῆρχεν WOTE EIVAL TO Xoiπov Izdali Ant. lib. 13. cap. 9. sect. 1. d Prideaux's Conn. P. II. Book v. p. 307. * Και πρώτον μεν το τείχος ανεδείματο της πατρίδος ύπο Πομπηις κατετραμ μɛvov' de Bell. J. hb. i. c. 10. p. 979. v. 28. vid. etiam ibid. v. 21. Tn ρης μεν Ιδεμαίοι τον οίκον τ8 Θε8, και της κοινής πατρίδος προπολεμησομεν ibid. lib. iv. p. 1180. v. 43. ence, because the founder of Cæsarea, Herod their king, was a Jew,'g Herod obtained the crown of Judea upon occasion of a difference between two branches of the Asmonean family. Hyrcanus had been for a considerable time prince and high priest of the Jewish nation. But whilst the Roman empire was in an unsettled state after the death of Julius Cæsar, Antigonus, son of Aristobulus, brother of Hyrcanus, by means of some friends he had amongst the Jews, and by the assistance of the Parthians, made himself master of Jerusalem, and all Judea, and took Hyrcanus prisoner, who was put into the hands of the Parthians.h Hereupon, Herod, who had been governor of Galilee under Hyrcanus, and whose interests had hitherto depended entirely upon him, set sail for Rome. All he then aimed at, was to obtain the kingdom for Aristobulus, brother of his wife Mariamne, by his father, grandson of Aristobulus, and by his mother, of Hyrcanus. But the senate of Rome, moved by the recommendations of Mark Antony and some reasons of state, conferred the kingdom of Judea upon Herod.i Having had this unexpected success at Rome, he returned with all expedition to Judea; and, in about three years' time, got possession of the whole country. Antigonus was taken prisoner, sent to Antony, and by him put to death at Herod's request.* 'He (Herod) reigned after the death of Antigonus thirty-four years, and from the time he was 'declared king by the Romans thirty-seven.'! 6 He died of a very painful and loathsome distemper; insomuch that, as Josephus says, Some then pronounced it to be a judgment of God upon him for his many im'pieties.'m II. St. Matthew informs us, that Joseph, having been sometime in Egypt, by divine direction," arose, and took the young child, and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea, in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither notwithstanding, being warned of God in a : 8 Περι ισοπολιτείας. Οι μεν γαρ Ιεδαίοι πρωτεύειν ηξίων, δια το τον κτίσην της Καισαρείας Ηρώδην αυτων βασιλέα γεγονεναι το γενος Ιεδαίον. Joseph. Ant. lib. xx. cap. 7. sect. 7. In the year before the Christian æra, 40. c. 14. de Bell. lib. i. c. 14. cap. 18. Joseph. Ant. lib. xiv. * Ant. lib. xiv. cap. ult. de B. Jud. lib. i. 1 Ant. lib. xvii. 8. sect. 1. Ωςε τες επιθειαζοντας ποινην είναι των σωφιζων τα νοσήματα λεγειν. de B. J. lib. i. cap. 33. p. 1041. v. 6. ελέγετο εν ύπο των θειαζοντων, και οις ταυτα προαποφθέγγεσθαι σοφια πρέκειτο, ποινην τε πολλα δυσσεβες ταυ την ὁ Θεός εισπράσσεσθαι παρα τε βασιλεως. Ant. lib. xvii. c. 6. sect. 5. dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee," Matt. ii. 21, 22. By which words it is implied, not only that Archelaus succeeded Herod in Judea properly so called; but also that his power did not reach over all the land of Israel, and particularly not to Galilee. Josephus has informed us, that Herod, usually called the Great, by his last will and testament, which he made a little before his death, appointed Archelaus his successor in Judea, with the title of king; and assigned the rest of his dominions to Herod Antipas, and Philip, excepting only some small part, which he gave to his sister Salome. However, the disposal of all was left to the determination of Augustus. This will the emperor ratified, as to the main parts of it. Archelaus was decreed successor to his father in Judea, Samaria, and Idumea, with the title of ethnarch but was not to have the title of king, till he should do somewhat to deserve it. Herod Antipas was appointed tetrarch of Galilee and Peræa; and Philip, of Trachonitis and the neighbouring countries." If Joseph returned out of Egypt immediately after the death of Herod, I presume no one will except against the propriety of the expression here made use of, that Archelaus reigned. For his father had in his last will appointed him his successor with the title of king. If this return out of Egypt be supposed not to have happened, till after the decree of Augustus was passed, by which Archelaus was forbid as yet to use the style of king; yet no just exception will lie against St. Matthew's phrase. For Josephus himself, who has given us an account of this limitation, calls Archelaus, the king that succeeded Herod. And he has used the verb reigning concerning the duration of his government." And what in one place he calls a tetrarchy, in another, he calls a kingdom.9 St. Matthew says, that "when Joseph heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea, he was afraid to go thither." There must have been some particular reason for this fear, and for his "turning aside into the parts of Galilee," (by virtue of a pure choice of his own, or of a new direction from " Jos. Ant. lib. xvii. c. 8. sect. 1. de Bell. lib. i. c. 33. sect. 7. 8. et lib. ii. cap. 6. sect. 3.—Et gentem coercitam, liberi Herodis tripartito rexere. Tacit. Hist. lib. v. cap. 9. ° Ο επικαταταθεις αυτῷ βασιλευς Αρχελαος υιος ων. Antiq. 1. xviii. p. 802. v. 16, 17. • Ωσε βασιλεύσειν μεν αυτόν τον των ταχυών αριθμον de B. lib. ii. c. 7. p. 1059. vid. etiam p. 789. v. 23. et p. 904. v. 20 4 Την Λυσανίο τετραρχιαν p. 818. ν. 27. βασιλειαν την Λυσανίο καλεμενην p. 1071. heaven;) though Galilee also was in possession of one of Herod's sons. Some may infer from hence, that Archelaus must have had a bad character in Judea, even in his father's lifetime. And there are divers particulars in Josephus, which may confirm such a suspicion. After his father's death, and before he could set out for Rome, to obtain of Augustus the confirmation of Herod's last will; the Jews, upon his not granting some demands they made, became very tumultuous at the temple. And he ordered his soldiers in among them, who slew above three thousand; which was reckoned a great piece of severity, in the beginning of his reign, or rather whilst he was but a private person: for many reckoned him no more, till the succession was confirmed by Augustus. As Archelaus went to Rome, so did Herod Antipas, and almost all the rest of the family. When they came thither, Herod made interest for Archelaus's share, which was called the kingdom: and the whole family favoured Herod's pretensions, not out of any love to him, but out of hatred to Archelaus.'s After Archelaus had left Judea, with the leave of Quintilius Varus, president of Syria, an embassy of fifty of the chief men of Jerusalem was sent to Rome, in the name of the whole nation, with a petition to Augustus, that they might be permitted to live according to their own laws under a Roman governor: and when they came to Rome, they were joined by above eight thousand Jews who lived there. They arrived before Augustus had given his sentence upon Herod's will. When he gave Archelaus and this embassy an audience, none of the royal family would attend Archelaus to support his interest; such was their aversion to him. Nor did they join in with the embassy, being ashamed to oppose so near a relation in the presence of Augustus." And in the tenth year of his government," the chief of the Jews and Samaritans, not being able to endure his cruelty and tyranny, presented complaints against him to • Cæsar. Augustus, having heard both sides, banished • Archelaus to Vienna in Gaul, and confiscated his treasury.' Ant. lib. xvii. cap. 9. sect. 3. • Επει δε εις Ρωμην αφίκετο (Αντιπας,) και πάντων των συγγενων απόστασις ην προς αυτόν, εκ ευνοια τη εκείνη, μισει δε τῳ προς Αρχέλαον. ibid. sect. 4. * Οποσοι δε συγγενείς ήσαν προς Βασιλέως, Αρχελαφ μεν συντεταχθαι δια μισος το προς αυτόν ύσερον, τους δε πρεσβεσιν ὁμοψηφειν κατ' αυτε δεινον ηγέντο, εν αισχύνη τη αυτών οιόμενοι γενήσεσθαι παρα Καισαρι κατ' ανδρος οικείς τοιαδε πράσσειν προθυpriai. Antiq. lib. xvii. cap. 13. sect. 1. u A. D. 6 or 7. πρωτοι των αδελφων ανδρων εντε Δεκατῳ δε έτει της αρχής Αρχέλας, οι VOL. I. C Indeed, he seems to have been the worst of all Herod's sons, except Antipater, whom Herod had put to death five days before his own decease. As the evangelists have said little concerning our Saviour after his return out of Egypt, and settlement in Galilee, till the time of his public ministry, when the government of Judea was in other hands, we find no farther mention made of Archelaus by them. III. But of the two other sons of Herod between whom the other half of his dominions was divided, we have mention made long after this. For St. Luke says, Luke iii. 1, that when "the word of God came to John, in the fifteenth year of Tiberius, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea, and the region of Trachonitis." That is, they were then in possession of the same territories and titles, which were assigned them by their father's last will, and Augustus's decree. And it was this same Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, to whom our Saviour was sent by Pilate, Luke xxiii. 6, 7, when he was accused before him. 6 That Philip was tetrarch of Trachonitis, in the fifteenth year of Tiberius, we are assured by Josephus, who says, that Philip the brother of Herod died in the twentieth year of Tiberius when he had governed Trachonitis, and Batanea, and Gaulanitis thirty-seven years.'" And Herod continued tetrarch of Galilee, till he was removed by Caligula, the successor of Tiberius.* IV. Of this Herod some other things are related, namely, his marrying Herodias and beheading John the Baptist. These are mentioned by several of the evangelists, Matt. xiv. 1-13, Mark iv. 14-29, Luke iii. 19, 20.-I shall only set down St. Mark's account. "For Herod had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison, for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. For John said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife: therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him, but she could not. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him.And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birth-day made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee : and when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and Ιεδαίοις και Σαμαρειταις μη φέροντες την ωμότητα αυτό και τυραννίδα, κατηγορούσιν αυτό επι Καίσαρος-Και ὁ Καισαρ αφικόμενο επί τινων κατηγόρων ακροαται και αυτό λέγοντος, και εκείνον μεν φυγάδα ελαύνει, δες οικητήριον αυτῷ Βιενναν πολιν της Γαλατίας" τα δε χρήματα απηνέγκατο ibid. cap. 15. sect. 2. Antiq. lib. 18. c. 5. sect. 6. * Ibid. c. 8. sect. 2. W |
